Nowhere to Run
by yamiskoi
Summary: Lara x Kurtis, One Shot. Lara realises what Karel's hidden meaning was when he transformed... and lives to regret it. As she races to find Kurtis, what is he thinking about as he slowly dies?


Yami's koi: okay, this has been something I got when I was listening to Simple Plan's song… um, 'Untitled.' I haven't yet finished AOD without level skipping (Damn Boaz level… grr…) but I know what happens. This was just a spur of the moment fic, so please… don't expect anything happy.

Nefertiri: and this is a one shot, but reviews and feedback will be greatly appreciated.

Yami's koi: indeed. Well, here's the fic. Lyrics are at the bottom…

A man stood over the carcass of the once flying, horrifying creature. His dark bangs fell into his amazingly azure eyes, the ones that had captured her… even though he was unaware of this. Blood and green toxic blood, from the creature beneath him known as Boaz, splattered his shirt, which hugged his muscles nicely. For the first time in what seemed to be an age, the gun that he had created himself lowered. A small smile crossed his face, all from knowing that he had been victorious.

This man's name was Kurtis Trent. And now, with Boaz killed, he could move on… and, very possibly, find a way to get to Lara. He smiled even wider, the expression brightening his rugged face considerably. Kurtis turned his back to Boaz, convinced that the menace was dead. She wasn't moving, and hadn't done so for the past three minutes.

And then, Kurtis' beautiful blue eyes widened. Indescribable pain shot through his body, all from an explosion in his stomach. Glancing down, he saw a scythe, Boaz's weapon, skewering him through the gut.

With this, Kurtis whirled around, and completely decapitated Boaz by slicing her head off, killing her completely. He wrenched the weapon out from his stomach… but he could feel his body growing weaker, could see his vision dimming and blurring. Breathing seemed so much harder…

And, as Kurtis fell to the ground, his thoughts were about her.

"Lara… I could never let you… know… I'm sorry…" He whispered, to no one in particular. His knees touched the floor, and Kurtis' body fell forwards from there. With his dying breath, Kurtis smiled, thinking about the woman he loved more than anyone in the world.

Kurtis remembered how he first glanced over at her, in the Café Metro. He then remembered seeing her outside Le Serpent Rouge, and then across the river, whilst smoking and considering his next course of action. Kurtis then remembered stroking his hands down her arms, disarming her… and then she turned, and their eyes met… again. For a moment, he thought that they were about to kiss… but he moved away. He remembered thinking of her, no one but her, whilst he killed mutated and mentally unstable men in the Sanitarium… skidding past room after locked room in the Maximum Containment Area… And then, both agreeing where they should go after she saved his life. Kurtis' vision narrowed and blackened then, and a single tear fell down his cheek.

He was dying happily, in a way… because now, he could always have Lara… in his memory… in his heart… in his being…

And with that, Kurtis' tears stopped.

_**Lara**_

The Nephilim, Karel, before her grins insanely.

"I have been helping you… ever since your friend Werner died, I have been helping you on your mission," Karel explained. As he said this, he transformed into various forms that Lara had encountered: Louis Bouchard, the reporter Luddick…

… But what she didn't expect was to see Kurtis Trent, his startlingly bright blue eyes shining at her… but something seemed so empty, so meaningless as he stood there, staring back at her. Lara could make out her own scared, troubled reflection in those handsome eyes… but they were definitely _not _Kurtis' eyes. His were warm, full of emotion… these just looked like they didn't have a soul behind them, just a shell with nothing in it at all.

And then, Kurtis vanished. Karel replaced him again, and Lara's eyes hardened. Still, she couldn't help shaking off the feeling that there was something… odd, and linked to those who she had seen. She tried not to think about it – there was a Nephilim before her… Lara had to be on her guard.

"We are… a very misunderstood race," Karel went on, his eyes glancing up at the Sleeper, "The Great Work of Eckhardt shall continue… and I want you to join this benign race."

Lara cocked her guns back at him. "You must be joking!"

Karel scowled, and extended his hands to her. "You can trust me, Lara Croft." As Lara looked at the Nephilim creature's hand, she noticed a red scar, etched into the palm… and immediately, memories of the night Werner died came flooding back to her… but this time, in their entirety.

As Lara remembered, see saw herself being pushed away from Werner by Eckhardt, into the bookcase… she heard Eckhardt asking her one-time mentor why he hadn't tracked down the Obscura Paintings… and her blood bubbled slightly when she heard him saying she would do it. Yeah, like she would after Egypt, Lara recalled thinking. And then, Eckhardt killed Werner.

And then, in a small burst of energy, Eckhardt changes into Karel. He grips Werner's glasses, breaking them. He threw them to the side, where Lara's head was.

"You human's break so easily." Was what he muttered. Lara glanced up then, and noticed a red scar on Karel's hand.

And then, Lara snaps herself back to the present. She still holds her guns, pointing at him. "Too many people have died for me to trust you," She snapped, knowing what was about to come. She prepared herself mentally and physically.

Karel's expression did not change, much like the people who he changed into.

"Stupid mortal! So be it!"

With this, Lara felt herself being thrown to the floor, as a burst of green light struck her. It damaged her, and so she stayed on the floor, looking for a way out of this. She lay herself flat against the floor, and saw Eckhardt's glove lying on the floor. Smiling, she commando crawled over there, and…

_**Once Karel was Defeated**_

Lara slowly emerged from her hiding place, clutching her stomach. She had been struck with several of Karel's green energy lights, and the impact of her rough landing when she'd ran had left her a bit shaky.

Lara then noticed a puddle of blood in the middle of the floor, and moved towards it. Lying there, now seemingly innocent and non-magical, was Kurtis' Shuriken. With trembling fingers, Lara reached down and picked it up. The weapon then vibrates slightly, just as the blades come out with a chink. It shuddered, then whirled Lara around to face a dark exit. She stared at it as the blades re-entered the main body of the weapon, a small smile gracing her lips. Perhaps Kurtis was alive.

She moved towards the dark cave, walking through the darkness. She strode on, quickening her pace. Lara desperately needed to quell those frightening, lonely thoughts that Kurtis was dead.

It was then that Lara did actually freeze up, her legs stopping. Her hazelnut eyes widened, mouth falling open slightly.

There was a reason why she had felt uneasy whilst watching Karel transform into those different forms… Both Bouchard and Luddick were dead. Could it be… possibly… that Kurtis was dead too? Could Nephilim only create a copy of those who were deceased?

"Kurtis…" Lara whispered, breaking out into a sprint. If her tears were from the rushing of the wind against her as she ran, or from emotional reasons, she did not know. All that Lara knew was to find Kurtis… and hope that he was still alive. She wouldn't let him die… she didn't want to have to start her life over again, alone.

Nothing had ever mattered before. But ever since Egypt, she could not escape to a place of illusion. Reality had been cruel to her, and had, in turn, changed her. She was forced to see the worst side of things now… and again, Lara asked herself…

How could this happen to me? She had endured terrible things in that demolished Tomb… and the things she had thought in there, the way in which she had felt when she realised Werner was to blame… was enough to make anyone sick of life. And with the taste of bitter betrayal still fresh in her mind, Lara couldn't relax again, or even stand being depressed.

What Werner had done could not be erased… and, if Lara's dark, evil suspicions were correct… what Boaz had managed to do to Kurtis could not be changed, either. His mistakes, as well as hers… were made. There was nowhere to escape; now… nothing was happy anymore. But ever since Kurtis… things were different.

And Lara wanted things to be that way… forever.

The Shuriken jolted, changing direction. Lara skidded, running down along the now illuminated passages. Just how long the tunnel had had lights, she did not know. She was too absorbed in what she may find… what she did not dare to think of.

Lara turned then, and found herself standing on top of the ledge from where Kurtis once was kicked off… where she was given a boost up. In the middle of the floor, she thought that she saw… no, that wasn't real.

And neither was the sickening amount of blood lying beside it.

Lara, with no regard for her own safety, simply jumped down from the ledge. Her ankles hurt, but she hardly noticed. She sprinted over to the fallen body of Kurtis, dropping beside him. Lara, without rationally thinking, shook the body, turning him over so that she could see him properly.

Lara covered her mouth as more tears fluttered down her cheeks, a small sob escaping her lips. A large, gaping wound had ripped through Kurtis' stomach, and blood was still slithering out. Lara made to cover it, apply pressure until the bleeding stopped, until a small noise stopped her.

"Ugh… L---Lara…?"

The Tomb Raider stared into Kurtis' lifeless, half-lidded azure orbs; tears falling from her own chestnut coloured ones. Blood had spattered onto Kurtis' rugged, manly face, and Lara wiped it away without thinking. After, she progressed so stroke the man's cheek.

"Y-Yeah… it's me, Kurtis. I'm here."

Kurtis gave her a weak smile, but instead ended up coughing up more blood. "Is… h-he… dead?"

Lara gave him a brilliant smile. She couldn't fool herself anymore. Kurtis was going to… going to…

"Yeah. Him and Karel… Kurtis… I…"

Kurtis stopped her, wiping blood away from his lips. "Shh… I'm gonna… be fine, I've done… we've finally… gotten justice, for… what he's done…"

It was a wonder how Kurtis could still speak. Lara nodded, and showed Kurtis his Shuriken. "I don't… want you to go without it…"

It was then that Kurtis seemed to realise that Lara was crying – but his vision was alternating between darkening, getting lighter and blurring vividly. He raised his arm slowly, since it seemed as heavy as lead now… and stroked them away with his bloody, dirty finger.

"Why… are you crying… Lara… I-I don't deserve y-you… but I… Lara, I love you…" Kurtis whispered huskily, his eyes blurring again. He was going to die, and Lara would have to live knowing that Kurtis was dead, and he had always loved her. "Since the day we… met, in the Café… I've loved y--" His eyes fluttered.

"KURTIS!" Lara cried, sobbing against the man's chest. She had never told anyone her feelings before, but nothing had ever been so bittersweet… and so beautiful. "Oh Kurtis… I love you too… Please…"

The American gazed at his love, smiling. He was happy, but then, he felt his arm drop to his side. His vision really darkened then, and he swallowed.

"G-Goodbye… Lara…" He muttered, giving her a gentle, loving kiss on her lips. Just when the touch was about to intensify, Kurtis groaned and broke away.

"KURTIS! KURTIS, PLEASE, DON'T GO!" Lara screamed, her tears falling onto his face, mingling with his own.

Kurtis gave her one last loving smile. His beautiful blue eyes shimmered, and he whispered: "Lara…"

That was Kurtis Trent's last word... his lover's name. And once it had been said, he exhaled one last time.

'_I open my eyes,_

_I try to see but I'm blinded by the white light…_

_I can't remember how,_

_I can't remember why,_

_I'm lying here tonight…_

_And I can't stand the pain… _

_And I can't make it go away…_

_No I can't stand the pain…_

_How could this happen to me?_

_I've made my mistakes,_

_Got nowhere to run,_

_The night goes on as I'm_

_Fading away…_

_I'm sick of this life,_

_I just wanna scream…_

_How could this happen to me?_

_Everybody's screaming,_

_I try to make a sound but no one hears me…_

_I'm slipping off the edge,_

_I'm hanging by a thread:_

_I wanna start this over again…_

_So I try to hold… _

_Onto a time when nothing mattered,_

_And I can't explain what happened,_

_And I can't erase the things that I've done._

_No I can't. _

_How could this happen to me?_

_I've made my mistakes,_

_Got nowhere to run,_

_The night goes on as I'm_

_Fading away…_

_I'm sick of this life,_

_I just wanna scream…_

_How could this happen to me?_

_I've made my mistakes,_

_Got nowhere to run,_

_The night goes on as I'm_

_Fading away!…_

_I'm sick of this life,_

_I just wanna scream…_

_How could this happen to me?_

Yami's koi: omg… I'm actually crying… people, I highly recommend reading this story and listening to Simple Plan's song, 'Untitled', at the same time. It made me cry when I wrote this…

Nefertiri: … that's very… depressing, actually.

Yami's koi: I know… it's putting a lotta things into perspective, actually. I wish you all never get a love life as doomed as this one… However. Please review me, as it will encourage me to write more TR fics… probably one's that aren't one-shots. Thank you for reading… and please, R&R.

yamiskoi


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